A semi truck accident left one person dead and several others injured in New Jersey recently. In Galloway Township, south of Newark, a tractor-trailer drove through a red light and ended up striking two cars.
The accident occurred at 11:30 a.m. on a road near the Atlantic City Airport. The driver of the tractor-trailer ran a red light and hit two southbound cars. It then swerved into the eastbound traffic lanes, where it collided with another car. The third car was pinned under the tractor-trailer but the car’s driver and the passengers were eventually extricated from the vehicle. In total, seven people were injured in the multi-vehicle accident.
The driver of a third car, a 69-year-old man from Hammonton, suffered serious injuries and was transported to the hospital. He succumbed to his injuries and died a short time after his arrival at the hospital.
Often, like in this semi truck accident, negligent driving is the most likely cause of an accident. However, the situation may be worse if a truck is involved. Due to the truck’s massive size and the load it is carrying, the degree of damage to other motorists is amplified. That means that motorists will most likely sustain serious injuries or die.
A Newark truck accident victim burdened with this kind of situation has the option to hold a truck driver legally responsible for the distress and damages that the accident victim has experienced. Doing this will not only mean accountability on the driver’s part but the victim may also be entitled to compensation to cover any accident-related damages. In the event that it is determined that the driver was not legally allowed to drive, or the truck was not properly maintained or defective, and these factors result in an accident, the trucking company can be held accountable for negligence as well.
Source: North Jersey, “Authorities identify man killed in four car crash in southern NJ,” Nov. 5, 2013